OSTEND, Belgium (Reuters) - Belgium's 72-km (44-mile) stretch of coast is distinguished by the world's longest unbroken tramway to take beach-lovers from the Dutch border to the edge of France or vice-versa.

Mostly, it's a very urban experience. High-rise development dominates and the challenge is to winkle out the remnants of graceful art-deco and unspoiled nature.

Correspondents with local knowledge can help.

Day 1

10 a.m. - To get there, catch a ferry to Ostend. Alternatively, from Brussels, trains to Ostend are cheap and take just over an hour. They also run to Knokke, if you want to start at the Dutch border.

Ostend shot to prominence as a vacation spot after the Belgian King Leopold I had a summer residence built there in 1834. Now it's better known for its ferry terminal. It also has 9 km of sandy beach, a Napoleonic fort and an art heritage.

Painter James Ensor, an important influence on expressionism and surrealism, was born in Ostend and lived there for almost all his life (1860-1949).

His house and studio in Vlaanderenstraat, near the sea front, is a museum (closed on Tuesdays), preserved as he lived in it to give visitors an insight into the man behind the powerful artistic angst.

Ensor also bequeathed to the city the Dead Rat Ball, a costumed ball, named after a Paris bar. He set up the event with his friends and it is still celebrated every March.

12 noon - Wander from Ensor's house around the sea front to the area near the station and the port, where lunch options range from simple fish and chips or pots of prawns to full-on gastronomy.

Au Vieux Port on Visserkaai gets mostly glowing reviews.

2 p.m. - Belgium's famous coastal tram (Kusttram in Dutch) departs every 10 minutes during the summer months, every 15 minutes in the spring and autumn. Depending on how many journeys you plan, there are various ticket prices, starting from two euros. Fares are cheaper if you buy before boarding.

Tram stops (68 in all) are dotted throughout the coastal towns and a journey along the entire route takes around two-and-a-half hours.

The trip from Ostend to De Panne, on the French border, is one of the few stretches from which you can see the sea. For the best view, sit on the right side of the tram heading towards De Panne, or left when heading back to Ostend.

From the Ostend station stop, the tram rattles through the sand-dunes to De Panne in around an hour.

If you get off at the Esplanade tram stop, the first thing you notice is a statue of Leopold I, who in 1831 first stepped on to Belgian soil at De Panne after he was chosen to become king of the newly formed country.

Walk on to the beach and bear left, towards the French border. After 500 metres (546 yards), make for the dunes of the Westhoek nature reserve, an unspoiled landscape, spread over about 340 hectares (840 acres), with 11 km of footpaths, in serene contrast to the bustling tourist towns.

5 p.m. - De Panne's beach is the widest in Belgium (up to 425 metres at low tide). As a result, it has become popular for beach sailing, or land yachting, in which small carts are attached to sails to attain speeds of more than 100 km (62 miles) per hour.